Dermoid Cyst Rupture Presenting as Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Report of a Rare Case

Dermoid cysts are usually asymptomatic tumors and consist <0.5% of all primary intracranial tumors. Rupture of the cyst can occur spontaneously, due to head trauma or during the intraoperative or postoperative period. Although patients have been reported to be asymptomatic after cyst rupture, its etiology is not fully understood. Here, we present a 53-year-old male patient who was admitted to the emergency department with loss of consciousness following sudden onset of headache. He had a stiff neck on physical examination. Although com- plaints and findings suggested spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage, cranial computed tomography and magnetic res- onance imaging demonstrated rupture of a dermoid cyst.